Lies to a Lover
by Bellatrix Nellie Le-Lovett
Summary: When Julia spins a web of lies to save her life, it could lead to a happily ever after with Barnabas Collins, or it could end in disaster...
1. Chapter 1

It was a miracle she was still alive. He could have killed her, but he didn't. Julia Hoffman stood in her office, staring at the door that Barnabas Collins had just run out of.

"Julia!" Elizabeth shouted, running into the room. "What happened? David said something about finding you and Barnabas having an argument. Is that true?"

"Yes, something like that…." Julia muttered, feeling a little faint.

"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, taking note of the Psychiatrist's odd look.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine." She replied, looking around the room for her drink, "I think, I need sometime alone." She murmured, glancing over at Elizabeth.

"Alright. I'll go speak with Barnabas." Julia nodded, closing the door and locking it. After pouring herself a glass of Bourbon, she melted onto the lab-table, replaying the earlier events in her mind.

_ "Please, you're a good man, you're a gentleman, you wouldn't kill me." Julia pleaded. _

_ "Madam, I am neither a good man, nor a gentleman. And I never forgive." Barnabas growled. He drew back, getting ready to strike at the milky white skin on her neck. _

_ "Doctor Hoffman?" A meek voice came from the doorway, "What's going on?" David Collins asked, staring wide eyed at the two adults. Barnabas turned slowly, facing the boy. _

_ "Doctor Hoffman and I were just having a little, argument." He growled, "Excuse me." He turned back to Julia, giving her a death glare, before staking out of the room. _

_ "Ms. Hoffman?" David asked again, "Are you alright?" He stared at the woman, still up against the wall, staring that the door. _

_ "I-I-I'm fine." She stuttered, finally looking at David, fixing her dress. "We were having an argument." She confirmed._

Julia looked down at her glass, staring that the liquid shake in her slightly trembling hands. He could have killed her if he really wanted to. Actually, now that she thought about it, he still could kill her. She gasped, the only reason he didn't was because David had been right there. David had, in a way, saved her life. She had to leave Collinwood, in fact, she had to leave Collinsport all together. Yes, she would leave tonight.

"But he'll just come after me." She breathed. "Unless…" Quickly, Julia raced over to her desk and pulled out a pen and paper.

_Dear Barnabas, _

_I am truly sorry for what I have done. I know you will never forgive me, and I'm not asking you _to, but I want you _to know the truth. I had my reasons. What reasons? Well, mind you, if this was a letter to any old friend, I would never admit to this, but after all the wrong I have done you, you have the right to know. I was stealing your blood out of love. I know it sounds like the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard, but it is the truth. The silly things we do for love right? _

_Now, I know that you have strong feelings for Victoria, but I thought that if I became like you, you would finally see me as more than another person living in Collinwood. Do you remember that day in my office when I said, "Every year I get half as pretty and twice as drunk."Do you remember what your responds was? "Well, if that is true madam, then you must have started as the most beautiful creature that has ever lived." That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, and I will never forget it. _

_You really are the most amazing person I have ever met. I wish I could be more like you, but now you hate me. My plan to win your affection has completely back-fired. I wish I had never thought of it in the first place, after all, you will never forgive me. _

_So now you know why I did what I did. You may not like it, you may not understand it, but that is the unfortunate truth. So, I'm leaving Collinsport. It's for the best, besides you have Vicky. I see the way you look at her. Good luck. I wish you the best. _

_Take care my love, _

_~Julia. _

Julia smiled as she read over her letter. It seemed believable enough. Besides, it was mostly based off of truth, just exaggerated a little. And hopefully, he would show some mercy after reading the letter, and leave her be.

0o0

After sliding the note under Barnabas's door, where he was bound to see it, Julia took her packed suitcase and headed towards Elizabeth's office.

"Morning." She said, walking into the office, startling Elizabeth.

"Hello, Julia. You're up bright and early."

"Is that a problem?" She asked, pulling letter addressed to her employer.

"Of course not. I'm just not used to seeing you this early in the day."

"Yes well, I didn't drink that much last night, I was busy." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any more questions. Carefully, Julia placed the letter on her desk and hurried out of the room. Just as she was about to open the front door, Elizabeth came running down the hall after her.

"Julia! What is this all about?" She said, waving the letter in the air. Julia shrugged, unsure of what to say. "Then why are you leaving?" She questioned.

"I feel I am no longer needed." Julia replied firmly.

"Of course you're needed Julia. Now stop acting like this." Elizabeth's voice raised a notch as she spoke.

"Just let me go!" Julia shouted back.

"I will not!" She roared back. Soon, the two were in a screaming match, yelling the first thing that came to their minds. The rest of the household began to gather around them, everyone except Barnabas who was still sleeping no doubt.

"Julia what have you been drinking? David still needs you!"

"I'm sure you can find someone else to replace me!"

"This is the most absurd thing you have ever attempted to do!"

"It is not!"

"Where are you going to go? Collinwood is your home!"

"I'll figure it out on the train!"

"Will you two stop that racket at once!" A voice shouted from the top of the stairs. Barnabas stood at the top of the stair well, clutching a piece of paper in his hand. Julia gulped, her eyes shifting from his face, to the paper and back again.

"Barnabas. I'm sorry did we wake you?" Elizabeth croaked, her voice hoarse from screaming.

"I've been awake since Dr. Hoffman paid me a short visit this a little while ago." He grumbled, slowly sauntering down the stairs.

Elizabeth nodded, "I see."

"Alright everyone, there's nothing to see here." Barnabas spoke, shooing everyone away. Finally, it was just the three of them in front of the door. "Ms. Hoffman, may I speak with you, alone." He said gesturing to Elizabeth's office.

Julia turned to Elizabeth, "If I'm not back in an hour, call the cops." She muttered.

A/N: So, what do you think? Too OOC? Please REVIEW and I'll update as soon as possible!


	2. Chapter 2

Barnabas shut the door with a little more force than necessary, making Julia jump. Julia stared at the door, knowing that it was her only exit, but her heart sank as he locked it, locking her in with him. Barnabas' eyes were still glued to the letter she had left under his door, his expression unreadable.

"What is the meaning of this Julia?" He asked, finally looking up at her. She couldn't tell if there was anger in his voice or not, if only she had left sooner.

"What do you think the meaning of it is?" She snapped before she could stop herself. He stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to say next.

"Is this true? Do you really mean what you wrote in this?" He tightened his grip around the paper, as if it might wriggle out of his grasp and slip away.

"Every word." Julia lied, failing to admit that most of her feelings had been drastically exaggerated. She would never admit something like that if it was real.

Barnabas sighed, "I feel so…"  
_Angry? Upset? Ready to kill someone?_

"Frustrated and guilty." He finally finished, "I should have spoken to you before I did what I did instead of acting so impulsively. I apologize for my poor behavior, what you did was wrong, but it wasn't worthy of what I attempted to do."

Julia blinked, of course she would forgive him. She held back a sigh of relief, now she'd sleep better at night, knowing that he wasn't going to attack her while she was sleeping.

"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Barnabas asked.

_All I want is for us to forget about this, I need to drink away the memory of these past few days._ She thought to herself, _Wait, that's it. I'll just ask him to forget that this ever happened then we can just go about our lives a usual._

"Actually Barnabas, there is something you can do." She cleared her throat. "I want you t-"

"I think I already know what you want." He interrupted, sighing a little. "But just this once." Without another word, he genially pulled her head forward and kissed her.

The kiss was over before Julia could even register what was happening. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Barnabas stared back at her for a moment before turned around and quickly walking out of the room, almost walking into the wall as he went. Julia brought a hand to her lips. She hadn't expected him to kiss her, no, that was the last thing she expected him to do, but she had to admit, he wasn't bad at it.

0o0

As usual, Julia was the last one to arrive in the dining room for lunch. When she walked in, the first person she saw, of course, was Barnabas, seated at the head of the table. She quickly looked away before their eyes met. Their kiss replaying in her mind over and over again.

Barnabas noticed Julia avoiding his eyes as well. He had been in such a hurry to get out of the room earlier that he didn't bother to tell her not to mention their little, exchange, to anyone, especially not Victoria.

Julia ate uncomfortably, noticing that Barnabas kept looking over at her every few minutes. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and excused herself from the table.

"Please, excuse me as well. I have important business to attend to." Barnabas said, rising from the table and following Julia out of the room. Julia glanced behind her once they were out of the room and realized he was still following her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, not bothering to look at him.

"Julia, I need to talk to you."

"Well, I'm busy." She replied, not wanting to give him any satisfaction of saying she was avoiding him. Quickly, she hurried into her bedroom and shut the door, hoping to give him the idea that she was not in the mood to talk.

0o0

Julia stepped out of her bedroom wearing her signature sunglasses, walking down the stairs and opening the door.

"Where are you going?" A voice called from the top of the steps, causing Julia to jump. She turned to find Barnabas at the top of the stairs. Rolling her eyes, Julia removed the sunglasses and looked up at him.

"Out."

"Mind if I join you? We still need to talk." He replied, walking down the stairs.

"Barnabas, you can't come with me because you can't go out in the sun." She said, placing the sunglasses back on the bridge of her nose. As she opened the door her face fell. It was pouring rain and cloudy, not a bit of sunshine was visible.

"I'll get my coat."

0o0

Julia sped down the road in the Collins Chevy, doing her best to ignore Barnabas' presents. She could feel his eyes on her as she tried to focus on the road.

"Where exactly are we going?" He finally asked, breaking the tension.

"I need more bourbon." She muttered, staring at the road stretched out in front of her.

Barnabas nodded, looking out the window at the scenery racing by. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Doctor Hoffman, I need to talk to you about the little…exchange that we shared earlier." He said, looking back at her.

"What is there to talk about?" She asked, feeling her cheeks start to turn the lightest shade of pink.

"I don't want you to tell anyone." He replied, "It could…"

"Ruin your relationship with Victoria. I get it Barnabas." She snapped, attempting to hide her slight embarrassment. The car jerked slightly as she whipped into a parking space. She quickly ran inside, trying to get out of the rain and as far away from Barnabas as possible.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I never expected to get over 20 reviews for just the first chapter alone! I hope you all enjoyed the latest update. Don't forget to REVIEW and let me know if you liked it and what I can improve on.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I would like to thank writergirl123456789, Rainbow Username, Ana, Alana, Addamslover, MonkeesDoctorWho1987, BeSmiley, DrainedVictim, ILOOVECOOCKIES, anony, and trekkieforeva for taking the time to review. **

**I am so sorry for the extremely long wait for this chapter! I had horrible writers block and I couldn't come up with anything for this story. I'm back now and hopefully you will all enjoy this chapter. I promise, the next update won't take as long. **

"Time's up David." Julia said, taking a long sip of her drink. "I want you to come see me at the same time tomorrow, understand?"

He nods and hurries out of the office, not really wanting to stick around since she was in one of her "extreme drinking" moods.

She sighed, walking out of her office and into the front hall, sitting down on the sofa. She buried her face in her hands, trying to clear her mind for a moment. Suddenly, the door opened and she could heard the sound of two people chatting as they walked into the house. When Julia looked up, she saw exactly the thing she had been trying to avoid all day, Barnabas.

"Oh, Doctor Hoffman, I was not aware that you were in here." She looked down, avoiding his eyes. "I'm sorry Victoria and I disturbed you."

"It's fine Barnabas, I was just heading back to my office anyway." Julia stood up, starting to leave the room.

"Don't feel that you have to leave because we're here." Victoria said sweetly, ignoring the fact that Barnabas looked very uncomfortable.

"It's almost time for lunch anyway." Julia muttered, "Excuse me."With that, she glided out of the room, leaving the two lovers behind.

-x-

"What do you think Julia?" Elizabeth asked, look at the hung-over psychiatrist .

"What?" She asked, taking another sip of her half coffee, half alcohol drink, pushing her sunglasses up higher on her nose.

"What do you think about the idea about the carnival?"

"What idea about the carnival?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"I thought since the happening went so well, perhaps we could do something else to promote the family business. So, my idea was that maybe we could host a carnival, it could attract attention to the business."

"Mmmm." Julia nodded, not really caring what the family wanted to do.

"Wonderful. Now, we should do this as soon as possible." Julia blocked out Elizabeth's voice, concentrating on trying to get rid of the massive headache she had due to the countless number of drinks she had earlier after seeing Barnabas in the front hall. She closed her eyes and massaged her temples, wishing that the lights were a bit dimmer.

"Julia?" A different voice interrupted her concentration.

"What?" She growled, opening her eyes and looking up, finding Barnabas standing right next to her.

"You didn't eat anything. Are you alright?" He inquired as she looked around the room, the entire family was gone. Dinner was over, how long did she have her eyes closed for?

"I'm fine Barnabas." She snapped, "My health is none of your concern." She stood up so they were standing face-to-face. Unfortunately he was taller than her, forcing her to look up at him.

"I apologize for asking." He bowed before walking out of the room, leaving her standing alone, her hands still on her hips.

-x-

Julia walked through crowds of people paying games and eating cotton candy, trying to find Elizabeth. It had been a few weeks since Elizabeth had mentioned the carnival and now after tons of planning, it was finally happening. The sky was black, but everything was illuminated with strings of lights hanging everywhere.

"David!" Julia cried, spotting the little boy in the crowed of people, munching on some popcorn. "Have you seen your Aunt?" She asked.

The boy shook his head, "No, the last time I saw here was almost an hour ago." She sighed and let him wonder off.

She turned, searching the crowd for the woman. Julia groaned when she noticed Barnabas walking in her direction, Victoria clinging onto his arm. Quickly, she darted through the crowd and scrambled onto one of the rides, not caring what it was as long as she was away from him.

She put her face in her hands and closed her eyes, recomposing herself. She heard someone else get into the little box with her, but paid on attention. The door closed and there was a jerk as the ride started to move up. Julia uncovered her face and looked at the person across from her, her eyes growing wide with shock. Barnabas, of all people, was sitting across from her.

"Julia!" He too was surprised.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

"Victoria wanted to come on this, but she ran off just as we were coming on."

"Oh." Julia looked down at her feet, already feeling extremely uncomfortable. She was in a tight space, with a person she had a strong dislike for. "What are we on anyway?" She demanded.

"The Ferris Wheel. How do you not know what you're riding?" He chuckled slightly.

"The Ferris Wheel?" She repeated, her heart beating a little faster.

"Yes. Why, is that a problem?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, not at all." Julia squirmed in her seat. She hated being up high, in fact she was terrified of heights. She peered over the edge of the basket like box they were in and looked down. She let out a small scream when she noticed how high up they already were. She sat back and squeezed her eyes closed, trembling violently.

"Julia?" Barnabas sounded slightly concerned, "Is everything okay?"

"Just fine." She replied, not bothering to open her eyes. He placed a freezing cold hand on her arm.

"You're as white as a sheet, my dear."

"I said I was fine, Barnabas." She hissed, trying to keep her voice from shaking, "I just have a little problem with heights, that's all." She mumbled.

"I can tell. Why did you get on the Ferris Wheel if you don't like heights?" She finally opened her eyes and glowered at him.

"That's none of your concern." She didn't want to admit that she had climbed onto the nearest thing in order to avoid him. Julia glanced over the edge again, whimpering softly as they traveled even higher.

"It will be over soon." Barnabas spoke softly, trying to comfort her. Just as the box reached the peak of the wheel, it jerked to a stop.

"Why did it stop?" Julia asked, slightly alarmed.

"They're letting more people onto the ride." Barnabas replied calmly.

"Why did they have to stop it as soon as she reached the top?" She moaned, refraining from looking over the edge yet again. They sat for a few minutes, waiting for the ride to start again. Two minutes, three minutes, six minutes, ten minutes, they still hadn't moved. Julia was starting to panic, what was taking so long?

The wind blew, causing the box to sway. Julia was trembling even more now. What was happening?

"Barnabas Collins and Julia Hoffman!" Elizabeth's voice rang out from below them. She was speaking into a megaphone, standing in the center of the crowd of people that had surrounded the Ferris Wheel. Barnabas peered over the edge of the box, down at Elizabeth. "Barnabas, the Ferris Wheel appears to be broken. We are doing our best to fix it and we'll get you down as soon as possible. Are you alright?

"Yes." Barnabas shouted down at her.

"Is Julia alright?" Barnabas glanced over at Julia's trembling form. Julia could see his eyes fill with sympathy. He took her hands in his own and called back to Elizabeth.

"She's fine."

Elizabeth nodded, "We'll have you two down soon."

Barnabas moved to Julia's side, causing the box to shake even more. Julia screamed as it shook, burring her face into Barnabas's chest, clinging to him desperately. He wrapped an arm around her waist, stroking her hair with his other hand. Now was not the time to hold grudges, it was obvious that the woman was scared out of her mind and needed him for comfort.

The two adults sat in silence, Julia on the verge of having a mental breakdown and Barnabas doing his best to comfort her for the time being. Suddenly there was a loud bang, causing Julia to breakdown into tears.

"You're fine." Barnabas whispered soothingly. After a few minutes, Barnabas could smell something strange. Smoke? Julia could smell it too and she looked up at him, her eyes full of fear.

"What's that smell?" She asked, but by the tone of her voice, he could tell she already knew.

"Barnabas! Julia!" Elizabeth's voice came from below them, she sounded frantic. "You have to climb down! Now!"

"What's wrong?" Barnabas called back, feeling Julia's grip tighten.

"Fire! The machine is on fire!"

**A/N: Please REVIEW! The more reviews, the faster the update. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to EleKat, Rainbow Username, SweeneyToddRules, bellarosas13, Mirabilem Electo, PirateNinjaCJS, PrincessDaydream77, Lady Adama, Melisa20 and O for taking the time to write such lovely reviews. **

**My Fan Fiction account is officially one year old today, so to celebrate I decided to update!**

"Fire! The machine is on fire!" Barnabas looked down and sure enough, the bottom of the Ferris Wheel was illuminated with flickering flames. Barnabas turned to look at Julia, she was paralyzed.

"Julia, look at me." He took hold of her shoulders, the smoke was beginning to float up to them now. Julia closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "Julia, we have to get down, we have to climb down."

"No…" She whispered. Barnabas looked around, looking for the nearest rod to climb onto. The entire Ferris Wheel was made up of multiple metal rods and bars so it wasn't impossible to climb, but Barnabas had no idea how he would get Julia to go down.

"Julia, hold onto me." Barnabas said, feeling rather awkward.

"What?" He took her arms and wrapped them around his neck.

"Hold on." Barnabas finally found the bar he was looking for and focused on jumping to it.

"What are you doing?" She sounded alarmed, but he ignored her.

His feet left the floor of the box and for a split second they were in the air. Julia shrieked and hid her face in the crook of his neck. He landed on the bar below the box, he held onto the vertical bar next to him.

"What the hell was that?" She cried.

"I'm going to climb down, so you need to hold on." He said, ignoring her question yet again.

The psychiatrist was too scared to respond, instead she squeezed her eyes shut and clung to Barnabas as he climbed down the Ferris Wheel. As they drew closer and closer to the ground, they began to breathe in more and more smoke. The smoke filled the air, making it hard to see and hard to breathe. Julia felt like she was going to pass out, and prayed that she wouldn't fall.

Suddenly, there was a loud creek and the Ferris Wheel began to lean over. Julia screamed again and tightened her grip on the vampire. Barnabas stopped climbing and looked down.

"I am going to let you go." He spoke calmly.

"What? Why?"

"I'm going to jump down, and then I'll catch you."

"No!"

"The Ferris Wheel is going to collapse, you need to get down." Without another word, Barnabas jumped. Julia watched in horror as he plummeted to the ground, temporarily forgetting that he wouldn't die.

Barnabas stumbled to his feet when he hit the ground, feeling a little sore. As soon as he stood up, he held out his arms, barley able to see Julia through the smoke.

"Julia! You have to jump!"

"I-I-I can't do it." She stammered.

"Yes you can! Trust me." Julia shook her head again.

"I will catch you, I promise."

"Barnabas, I ca-…I ca-" The excessive amount of smoke was going to the psychiatrist's brain. She suddenly felt herself slip and fall down, down, down. Then everything was black.

-x-

"Doctor Hoffman, can you hear me?" There was a strange man standing in front of the doctor as the world started to come into focus again. "Doctor Hoffman?"

"Julia!" Elizabeth rushed over to her. "I spoke with Barnabas, are you alright?"

"What the hell is going on?" Julia asked, looking around at the flashing lights, the crowd of people, firemen and cops.

"Don't you remember? The Ferris Wheel, the machine overheated and caught on fire. You were at the top, with Barnabas."

"What Ferris Wheel?" She was beginning to notice something on her face, an oxygen mask?

"Doctor Hoffman, you don't remember any of that?" The man spoke again.

"I don't know what the hell she's talking about. The last thing I remember is having a few drinks after lunch. Then suddenly I was here…"

"Julia!" Roger came running towards her now, Barnabas at his heels.

"Well aren't I popular." She mumbled.

"How do you feel?" Roger asked, showing uncharacteristic concern for her.

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" She snapped.

"You fainted, and then fell. It's lucky Barnabas caught you, you probably would have died if he hadn't."

"I fell? When?"

"When you were on the Ferris Wheel, remember?" Elizabeth prompted.

"No." Julia's eyes were burning, like she had been standing with them wide open for an hour. She could smell smoke now, on her, on Barnabas, in the air. She had no idea what was going on, and she was not enjoying the Collins family hovering over her.

"Doctor Hoffman has inhaled a generous amount of smoke. I suggest we take her back to the hospital, maybe by then she will have gotten her memory back."

"I don't need to go to a hospital, this is ridiculous." Julia tried to object. "Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke you think you can pull on me while I'm drunk, because it's not working."

"Julia," Barnabas spoke for the first time, "let us bring you." He placed a hand on her shoulder, his face reflecting genuine concern. None of this was making any sense.

"No!"

"No is not an option."

-x-

"I hate hospitals, they don't let you have any alcohol." Julia mumbled, staring at the IV in her arm. Barnabas couldn't help but smile at this remark as he sat in the chair located in the corner of the room. There was a knock before the door opened.

"You must be Ms. Hoffman. Hello, I'm Doctor Charlie Fitzgerald." He was tall, dirty blond hair, around the same age as her, and not a sore sight on the eyes.

"Doctor Hoffman." The psychiatrist corrected, looking him up and down.

"I apologize doctor. Now, to get more to the point, how are you feeling? Have you remembered anything about the events that took place earlier tonight?" She shook her head. "That's a shame."

"I guess so." She murmured.

"Well, Doctor Hoffman, it appears that you are fine, other than your memory loss. But you are free to go home." She felt a smile spread across her face.

"There is one more thing that I need to ask you before you leave though."

"What would that be Doctor Fitzgerald."

"Would you like to get a drink with me?"

She smiled a bit wider, "A drink? God knows I'm good at drinking. I would love to." Her eyes darted to Barnabas who was still sitting frozen in the corner. There was a hint of something on his face, jealousy? Maybe…

**A/N: Please REVIEW and tell me what you think. **


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Thank you to EleKat, The infamous Hogwarts jaguar00, Guest, Rainbow Username, Mirabilem Electo, Lady Adama, BovineMeatPies and Morticia A. Addams for reviewing and making my day. _

-x-

"How do I look?" Julia asked, walking down the stairs and into the front hall expecting to find Carolyn sitting on the couch. "Oh, Barnabas."

"Julia, where are you going?" He asked, noticing the way she was dressed. Julia adjusted her royal blue sundress, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Out."

"With whom?" He asked as she fixed the strap on one of her heels.

"Carolyn was suppose to tell me what she thought of my dress, where is she?"

"Who are you going out with?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"You have not answered mine."

Julia let out an exasperated sigh, "Charlie. I'm going out with Charlie." Barnabas raised an eyebrow.

"Charlie? The doctor from the hospital?"

"Yes. He took me out for a drink and I had a lovely time. Today he is taking me out to lunch, but I don't see how that is any of your business." Barnabas noticed that the doctor was surprisingly sober.

"My apologize, Julia." There was a knock at the door and she practically sprinted to answer it.

"Hello Charlie." She smiled widely.

"Hello. You look wonderful." Charlie smiled back, holding out a bouquet of flowers, "I brought these for you."  
"They're lovely. Thank you." Julia glanced behind her, "Barnabas? Would you be a doll and put these in water for me? Thanks." She placed the flowers on a table near the door and took Charlie's arm.

-x-

"So, Julia how did you end up working for the Collins Family?" Charlie asked in between bites of his steak.

She took a sip of her wine before speaking, "Well, I heard that there was a family looking for a live-in psychiatrist and I was looking for a job at the time. There was nothing for me to lose so I took a train up to Maine, from New York, where I was living at the time, and Elizabeth hired me. I was only supposed to stay for a few months, but things changed." She paused, "I've been there for almost three years now."

Julia smiled a little, thinking about the day she had arrived in Collinsport. The first time she had seen Collinwood, she was amazed at the size of it. She had spoken with Elizabeth, Roger, David and Carolyn, they had all made her feel like part of the family.

"Wow." Charlie's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Three years is a long time compared to a couple of months. I guess it would be hard to leave them after all this time." She nodded, before taking another sip of her wine.

"I suppose you could say that they've grown on me, almost like family."

"And that Barnabas, he's an interesting fellow. Very different from most people." Julia nodded, looking around the restaurant. As she looked around, she noticed someone who looked a lot like Barnabas, when she looked a little closer, she noticed it actually was Barnabas. She rolled her eyes. "Is everything alright?" Charlie asked.

She smiled, "Yes, there's just someone I need to…take care of. I'll be right back."

Julia stormed up to Barnabas who was attempting to conceal his face behind one of the oversized menus.

"What are you doing here?" She growled, yanking off his hat.

"Oh, hello Julia." He smiled, trying to look innocent.

"Answer my question." She demanded.

"I thought it would be nice to go out."

"I don't buy that crap for a minute. So what are you really doing? Spying on me? Trying to sabotage my date?"

"Of course not, my dear."

"Then why the hell are you here?" Her voice was low and dangerous. Barnabas opened his mouth to answer but Julia spoke before he could. "You know what, I don't care." She stormed back to her table where Charlie was still sitting. "Can we leave?"

"Why? Is there a problem?" He asked, standing up as she pulled on his arm.

She shook her head, "I just need to get out of here." In her rush to leave, Julia tripped, falling into Charlie's open arms.

"Careful." He chuckled, helping her back onto her feet.

"Thanks." Before she knew what she was doing, she kissed him. Barnabas's jaw clenched and he felt a twinge of anger, which was a little confusing. Why should he care about Julia's love life? He was with Victoria, so it shouldn't matter to him. As he watched the pair leave the restaurant, he thought, maybe deep down he had feelings for Julia. He quickly brushed those feelings aside as she turned around to shoot him one last glare.

0o0

"Hello everyone." Julia grumbled, stumbling into the dining room and joining the rest of the family for breakfast. When she entered the room, Barnabas noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual pink sunglasses. Instead she had a newer looking pair, blue and purple.

"New sunglasses?" Elizabeth asked, also taking note of it.

"What?" Julia looked confused for a moment, obviously hung-over as usual, "Oh, these. Yes, Charlie bought them for me."

"Doctor Fitzgerald bought them for you? So I guess you're getting along with him." Barnabas said.

"Of course I'm getting alone with him." Julia snapped. "I'm not hungry. I'll see you all…later." She mumbled before stumbling back out of the room again.

0o0

"Elizabeth, may I talk to you for a few moments?" Barnabas asked once everyone had left the dining room. "It's about Ju- Dr. Hoffman."

"What about her?"

"She has been acting a little odd lately. Ever since she started seeing Doctor Fitzgerald she's been acting like a love sick puppy."

"Don't worry about her, Barnabas. Julia is a grown woman, she can take care of herself. It's been a long time since she's been with someone who has treated her right. She hasn't been in love for years. She'll be back to normal soon, just give her time to get used to being in love."

0o0

"Barnabas? Is everything alright?" Victoria asked, looking over at the vampire as they walked sat on the couch.

"Yes, everything's fine."

"Good." She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. He smiled at her, temporarily forgetting about what he was thinking. She kissed him softly before whispering, "I love you."

"I love you too, Julia." He froze as soon as the words left his mouth. "I mean Victoria." He desperately tried to take it back, but it was too late.

-x-

_A/N: Please, REVIEW!_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you Rainbow Username, Morticia A. Addams, EleKat, Mirabilem Electo, Sweeneytoddrules, music is life 99 xxx, EllieLovettBovine, Noodlemantra and Lady Adama for being so great and reviewing!**

"You what?" Victoria asked, the smile disappearing from her face as she stared at Barnabas in disbelief.

"I love you, Victoria."

"No, you said you loved Julia."

"I didn't mean that."

"Then why did you say that you loved her?"

"Victoria, I love you. I've just been thinking a lot about Julia since the night the Ferris Wheel caught on fire. It was a very traumatic night for her, in addition for that she inhaled a lot of smoke."

"That's the worst excuse I've ever heard." She stood up, and marched out the room.

0o0

"Barnabas, you haven't said a word since we started eating, is everything alright?" Elizabeth asked, looking up from her food.

"Yes, everything's fine."

"Are you sure? You're never this quiet." He glanced at Victoria, she was glaring at Julia, who was completely oblivious to the whole situation.

"Yes, I'm sure." The entire table was silent.

"Awkward conversation aside," Julia finally said, "Charlie's coming to dinner tomorrow night. I thought it would be nice for him to meet you all."

"The doctor is coming to dinner?" Barnabas raised an eyebrow.

"I think it'll be nice." Elizabeth looked from Barnabas to Julia. "I can't wait to meet him."

0o0

There was a knock on Barnabas's door later that night. He sighed and got up off the bed, opening the door to find Roger standing before him.

"Hello Roger." He said, a little surprised.

"Barnabas, I need to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"What do you know about this, Doctor Fitzgerald that Julia's been seeing?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious. Being the man of the house, I like to watch out for the woman living here, especially the…attractive ones."

"I don't know much."

"I see…and you are seeing Victoria, correct?"

"That is none of your business."

"I'll take that as a yes. So you have no interest in Julia?" There was another knock at the door before he could answer. Barnabas opened the door and found the psychiatrist standing in the doorway. Both men froze, the room settling in an uncomfortable silence.

"Was I interrupting something?" She asked.

"No, not at all." Roger replied.

"What are you doing here?"

"I live here."

"No, I mean in this room."

"I had to ask Barnabas a question, why are you here?"

"Elizabeth wants me to teach him to drive."

"What?" Both men said in unison.

"Elizabeth thinks it's time for you to learn how to drive, and for some unknown reason, she wants me to teach you."

"Why?" Barnabas asked.

She shrugged, "She said something along the lines of we had been acting strange and she needs us to bond or something. I don't like the idea either but she doesn't want…something. I honestly don't know, I was drunk when she told me. Meet me in the driveway tomorrow morning, goodnight."

0o0

"Stop!" Julia screamed, "Red means stop!" Barnabas slammed on the breaks, bringing the car to a screeching halt.

"Sorry." Julia closed her eyes, massaging her temples.

"If I die in this car, you're dead meat." She hissed, opening her eyes. "Green, drive."

After driving for another hour, Barnabas's skills had only slightly improved. Julia had found herself screaming most of the time. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Pull over and get out of the car. I'm driving." After they had switched, she took off, headed for the beach. They were silent for most of the ride. Occasionally she would comment by saying things like, "See how I stop at the red light? Or "When someone's crossing the street, make sure you stop instead of driving right into them."

Finally, they pulled up to the beach and she got out of the car, motioning for him to come with her. She sat down on one of the rocks looking out at the ocean. She noticed Barnabas standing behind her.

" Sit." She patted the seat beside her. He sat down, looking out at the sea. "Barnabas, I apologize for the way I acted the other day. It was horrible for me to do."

"I had no right to spy on you."

"That is true, but I'm still going to apologize, but don't get used to it. I don't apologize to people like this very often."

"Don't worry, I won't."

"While we're on the subject of thing's I don't do often, I never thanked you for saving me, on the Ferris Wheel."

"You're welcome."

"So…" She said after a few minutes, "How's Victoria?"

Barnabas shrugged, "I don't know."

"Aren't you two…"

"I don't know. I accidentally said something to her yesterday and she got angry."

"Oh, I see."

"What about Doctor Fitzgerald? How is he?"

"He's great. He's been buying me a lot of stuff, sunglasses, shoes, drinks, things like that."

"That's nice."

"Yes, it's been a while since someone's actually had any interest in me." She mumbled.

"I don't see how that's possible. You are a very attractive woman, Julia." She bit her lip to keep from smiling.

"Thanks Barnabas. I think, if you get to know Charlie, you'll really like him. We should probably get back to the house."

0o0

"Thank you for teaching me how to drive." Barnabas smiled a little when they arrived back at Collinwood. Julia had insisted on driving, saying she wanted to arrive back in one piece.

"Well, I can't say you're very good at it, but at least I tried."

"Maybe you can try and teach me some more another time."

"Maybe. I need to go get ready for dinner. I'll see you later."

"I'll see you later."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Julia." Barnabas whispered. Just as she turned to leave, he took hold of her shoulders, and kissed her.

**A/N: I know it was a little OOC, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please don't forget to REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Big thanks to EleKat, EllieLovettBovine, Lady Adama, Mirabilem Electo, Dionne dance, wutshudmenamebee and PrincessDaydream77 for leaving such kind reviews. _

-x-

"Goodbye, Julia." Barnabas whispered. As she turned to leave, he took hold of her shoulders and kissed her. Surprisingly, she kissed him back, letting him pull her closer until she was practically sitting on his lap. Finally, coming to her senses, Julia pulled away, her cheeks flushed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, standing up and looking away from him. "I shouldn't have done that, it was wrong."

He stood beside her, placing a cool hand on her shoulder. "Julia, I-"

"Please, Barnabas, I need some time to think, by myself." She ran into the house before he could say anything else.

Later that night, Barnabas sat on the couch in the front hallway, staring into the fire burning in the fireplace.

He turned as Julia glided down the stairs and into the room, sitting down beside him. She was already changed for dinner, wearing a light pink, paisley-patterned dress with elbow length, silk sleeves, the bottom of the dress, from her mid thigh to her knee was also made of silk. The dress had a low, scoop neckline making this the most "revealing" dress he had ever seen her wear. Her hair had been blow dried to look more flowing, feathered than it usually did and she had taken the time to redo all of her make-up.

In Barnabas's eyes, she looked stunning. He could even smell some perfume she had put on, mostly to mask the smell of the alcohol she had been drinking.

"You look ravishing, my dear."

"Thank you." She whispered, not taking her eyes off of her black pumps.

"What are you doing?'

"Waiting for Charlie. He should be here any minute."

"Doctor Fitzgerald? Is he taking you out again?"

"No, I told you before, he's coming for dinner."

"Julia, I must be honest with you. Ever since that day you-" The doorbell rang, cutting him off.

"That must be him." She jumped out of her seat and flew towards the door, flinging it open.

"Julia, you look gorgeous." Charlie exclaimed, twirling her around before giving her a nice long kiss, making Barnabas want to gag.

"You don't look so bad yourself." She smiled, adjusting the tie on his suit. "Please, come in." Barnabas stood up from and walked over to where the rest of the household had gathered. "Charlie, I'd like you to meet the Collins family. Barnabas, you meet at the hospital, Elizabeth, Carolyn, Rodger, David and Victoria Winters, the governess."

"It's very nice to meet you all and thank you for having me over to your lovely home."

"It's our pleasure, Doctor Fitzgerald." Elizabeth smiled.

"Please, call me Charlie."

0o0

For Barnabas, the evening dragged on as the family asked Charlie all about his amazing life. Apparently, he had lived in New York, California, Arizona, Florida and now Maine. He had met famous people and done exciting things like skydiving. The entire family was completely fascinated by his stories, even Carolyn had snapped out of her typical grouchy mood, asking questions about what it was like to live in New York City.

"How exactly did you and Julia meet?" Roger asked.

"Well, she came in the night of the Ferris Wheel incident. When I saw her, I thought she was the most beautiful woman that I had ever seen, and I needed to see her again." Julia blushed, and Barnabas rolled his eyes.

"What did you say to her?"

"Well, there is this thing us medical people have to abide by, 'Doctor-Patient Confidentiality' so I'm afraid that information is confidential." He winked.  
Julia had been watching Barnabas out of the corner of her eye the entire time. When Charlie said "Doctor-Patient Confidentiality", his eyes grew wide in remembrance, she choked slightly on the wine she had been drinking as she remembered the same thing. The entire table turned to look at her as she coughed and sputtered.

"I'm fine." She whispered hoarsely as soon as she recovered. With that, everyone resumed their conversation, asking Charlie more questions about his life.

0o0

"Where did Julia go?" Barnabas asked Elizabeth a little while later, after they had finished eating dinner.

"She said she was going for a walk with Charlie. They'll be back soon." The door opened and closed again, the soft click-clack of high heels echoed across the floor. Barnabas quickly rounded the corner, looking for the source of the noise.

"Julia? Is that you?" The noise stopped before someone called back.

"Yes, I'm just getting my coat, it's a little cold outside." Seeing that this was his chance to speak with Charlie alone, Barnabas quietly slipped out the front door.

"Ready to…oh, Barnabas, for a minute I thought you were Julia." Charlie smiled, looking up at the sky, "It's a nice night."

"I suppose so." As Charlie made small talk, Barnabas could feel his anger building. He really didn't like Charlie, there was something about him that didn't sit well with him. When Charlie shoved him jokingly, Barnabas didn't take it so lightly. Before he knew exactly what he was doing, he punched Charlie right in the face.

"What the hell was that?" He asked, pushing Barnabas a little more roughly this time, one hand massaging his jaw. The last shove sent Barnabas over his breaking point. He punched Charlie again, which resulted in Charlie throwing a punch at him, then a punch back until the two men were beat each other. Punch. Punch. Kick. Push. Shove. Kick. Punch. Block. Push. Block. Punch. Kick.

"What the hell is going on here?" Julia cried, racing down the steps as soon as she was out the door. Both men ignored her, to wrapped up in the fight. She tried pulling Barnabas away from Charlie, but she wasn't strong enough. Quickly, she ran in between them, trying to separate them. Barnabas pushed her out of the way, unfortunately he pushed her a little too hard.

Julia went stumbling backwards, falling down and hitting her head on the stone steps. Barnabas froze as he turned to look at her, realizing what had just happened. What had he just done?

-x-

_A/N: As always please REVIEW!_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Big thanks to EleKat, Mirabilem Electo, Princess Daydream77, EllieLovettBovine, The infamous Hogwarts jaguar00, Lady Adama, Morticia A. Addams, PirateNinjaCJS, toolazy, Shenelopefan, and Mrs. Sweenett for being so amazing and reviewing. _

_-x-_

"Julia!" Both Barnabas and Charlie cried, racing over to her. As they drew closer, they could hear soft moans coming from the psychiatrist, indication that she was alive.

"Stand back, Barnabas, I'm a doctor."

Julia's eyes opened slightly as she looked up at the doctor. "Charlie?" She whispered, her voice hoarse.

"Yes Julia, I'm right here."

"My head hurts." She groaned.

"I'm sure it does. Let's get you in the house. Do you think you can walk?" She shook her head. In one swift motion, Charlie lifted her in his arms, carrying her into the house with Barnabas at his heels."

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked, seeing the psychiatrist barley conscious in the doctor's arms.

"There was an accident and she hit her head, but she's going to be fine." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Barnabas.

"Barnabas? What happened?" The surveyed both men, they were both badly bruised with a fair amount of mud on them.

"An accident." He echoed Charlie's words, unable to look her in the eyes.

"Here, put her on the couch." Elizabeth rearranged the pillows so Charlie could set Julia down on it.

"Can you get her some ice?' Charlie asked, carefully setting the psychiatrist down on the couch.

"Of course." Elizabeth said, running out of the room.

"Julia? How do you feel?" Barnabas asked, kneeing down beside her and taking her hand.

"Barnabas, no offence, but I think you should back off." Charlie said. "You've caused enough trouble for one day."

"Doctor Fitzgerald, I-"

"Barnabas, you could have killed her. In fact, if she had hit her head just a bit harder, it could have cracked open, and she would be dead."

Barnabas opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. Finally, he stood and walked out of the room. "It looks like you're going to be fine, Julia. There's going to be a nasty bump, but we'll get some ice on that right away." He kissed her forehead, as Elizabeth ran back into the room with a bag of ice.

"Thank you." Julia winced as the ice was placed on her head.

"How is she?" Elizabeth asked.

"She'll be fine, there's going to be a rather large bump on her head, but other than that it's all alright."

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly as she noticed the black eye beginning to form around Charlie's eye. "What happened to you?"

"What? Oh…" He said, remembering what else happened. "It's nothing."

"Really?" Elizabeth could see Barnabas lurking in the doorway out of the corner of her eye. "Please, excuse me."

0o0

"How could you?" Elizabeth shouted, as soon as the door to her office was closed. Barnabas sat in the chair in front of her desk, looking at the floor.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He tried to look as innocent as possible.

"You got into a fight with Charlie and you injured Julia! You promised that you wouldn't hurt anyone in this family."

"Doctor Fitzgerald isn't part of this family."

"Well Julia is, and she cares about Charlie. Why would you hurt him?"

"I didn't mean to, I lost control for a moment. It will never happen again."

Elizabeth sighed, "Do you promise?"

"Yes, I do. As long as Julia is happy, I'm happy." She raised an eyebrow.

"Barnabas, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, what's wrong?

"Do you have feelings for Julia?"

Barnabas frowned. "What would make you think that?"

Elizabeth shrugged, "What you just said, it sounded like you had feelings for her, but she's in a relationship right now. This is the happiest I've seen her in a long time. Besides, what about Victoria?"

"She's not very happy with me at the moment."

"Oh, I wasn't aware that you two were having problems. Maybe you should talk to her."

"Maybe I will." He nodded, standing up and walking towards the door.

0o0

"Victoria, can I talk to you?" Barnabas asked, walking up to the governess.

"No."

"Victoria, please, I need to apologize to you. The other day I made a genuine mistake when I said Julia's name instead of yours. I've regretted it ever since, please, can you forgive me?" She turned around and looked at him, pursing her lips.

"I love you, Barnabas. Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do."

"I forgive you." She smiled, kissing him softly. Barnabas was a little shocked at first. When he decided to apologize to Victoria, he hadn't intended on resuming their relationship. He just didn't want Victoria to be angry with him anymore. "Is there something wrong?" She asked, noticing him falter.

"No, of course not. Everything is fine."

"Thank you for apologizing. It means a lot to me. I missed being with you." She touched his cheek softy.

"Of course."

0o0

"Thank you for helping me." Julia smiled at Charlie once they were finally alone. She was dabbing at his eye with a wet cloth, applying some medicine Elizabeth had found to heal his eye.

"It was my pleasure and thank you for helping me."

She laughed, "My pleasure." She stayed silent for a few moments before talking again, "If you don't mind me asking, how did the fight start?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. All of a sudden, he was throwing punches at me."

"I'm sorry about him. I don't know what's wrong with him, he's been acting strange lately."

"Were you two ever in a relationship with him?" He asked.

She shook her head, "No, he was with someone else until just a few days ago. I don't know what happened."

"I see."

Julia bit her lip and looked down. "Charlie, there's something I need to tell you."

"Are you alright?" He asked, noticing her expression change.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"What's troubling you?"

"The other day, something happened." Her voice broke as she spoke, a few tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Julia, are you crying?"

"Charlie, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do it."

Charlie took her hand, stroking her cheek and kissing her softly. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Earlier today, Barnabas kissed me."

"What?"

"And I kissed him back."

_-x-_

_A/N: Please, REVIEW!_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Thanks to EleKat, EllieLovettBovine, Lady Adama, Tihj00, Shenelopefan, Mirabilem Electo, Dark Elizabeth Nellie Lovett, wutshudmenamebee, ceb521, HBCfan56, LovettHelenaist, LittleLeStrange67 and neverlandisaplacefaraway for leaving such lovely reviews as always. _

-x-

"You kissed Barnabas?" Charlie asked in disbelief.

Julia nodded, tears dripping onto her cheeks. "I know, it was a horrible thing to do, and I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have." Charlie wasn't speaking. He was staring at the floor. "I can't believe I did something so stupid."

Charlie wrapped his arms around her trembling body. "Julia, I'm not happy about this, but I'm willing to move on from it."

Her head snapped up at his words. "Really?"

"Promise me that it won't happen again."

"Of course, it'll never happen again." Tears still fell freely from her eyes.

Charlie smiled softly at her, lifting her chin so she could see his face. "It's okay." She hugged him tightly before drying her eyes.

"I'm sorry for this mess." She said, indicating her tear stained cheeks. "I wanted everything to go smoothly, so much for that." She grabbed her wine glass from off the table beside her and downed the whole thing.

"Well, this is certainly a night I'll remember for a long time. And even through you're tears, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Her cheeks flushed a light pink. "Thanks." She murmured. Charlie leaned in and kisses her softly.

Julia was confused. When their lips met, the "spark" she thought she felt the first time, wasn't there. But when she had kissed Barnabas, she had felt so…happy.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked, sensing that there was something wrong. She didn't speak for a moment. She was trying to process her feelings at the moment. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't form words.

"I…I need another drink." She finally said, snatching her glass once again and walking back towards the dining room.

As soon as she was in the room she dumped the rest of the wine bottle into her glass. She had drank half the glass before Charlie had even walked into the room.

"Julia, is something wrong?" He asked, coming up behind her.

"I don't know." She collapsed into a chair and massaged her temples.

"What's going on?" He stood behind her, massaging her shoulders. "Relax and tell me what's on your mind."

"I'm so confused. I just need some time to think about things."

"Well, Julia there is something I need to tell you." He moved so he was standing in front of her, kneeling down and holding her hands. "I know we haven't been seeing each other for very long, but I know how I feel about you. Julia, I love you."

Her eyes widened, it had been years since someone had told her that they loved her. Her heart fluttered, before her mind was drawn back to the previous situation.

"Charlie, I-I don't know what to say."

His smile faltered, "What do you mean? I thought you felt the same way."

"I don't know how I feel. With everything going on, I don't know what to think at all."

"Are you saying that you don't want to see me anymore?"

"I care about you, Charlie, I really do, but I don't share the feelings that you have for me. I'm sorry."

"You don't have feelings for me, you have feelings for Barnabas, don't you?" He said it more like a statement than a question. Julia didn't answer, instead she stared at the floor, drinking more wine. "I've seen the way you look at him. At first I thought it was because he saved you're life, but I guess I was wrong."

"I really am sorry, Charlie." She whispered in between sips.

"Don't be, as long as you're happy, then I'm happy."

0o0

Julia sat along on the couch looking at the floor, lost in thought.

_ I need to tell him. _She thought to herself. _I need to tell Barnabas how I feel. No, wait, that's the stupidest idea I've ever had. I should apologize for everything I've said to him. I've been so nasty. Oh god, I need another drink. _She downed another glass of wine, her thoughts were becoming a little foggy. One thing was clear. _Apologize to Barnabas._

She stood, swaying slightly. How many drinks had she had? She stumbled down the hall way, towards Barnabas's room. When she arrived, she could hear voices coming from the other said of the door. She tried to listen, but the voices were muffled and she couldn't tell who was talking.

"Barnabas?" She called, and the voices stopped.

"Yes?"

"Can we talk?"

"Yes, one moment." He opened the door, blocking the rest of the room from view. "Is there something on your mind?"

"I wanted to apologize for all the mean things I've said to you in the past." Her words were slightly slurred when she spoke.

"Alright. You're forgiven, but why did you feel the need to do this now? Did something happen? Where's Charlie?"

"Great, well…I'm going to go have another drink." She ignored his questions.

Barnabas studied her face, noticing the tear streaks still staining her face and the mascara smudged around her eyes, despite the efforts she had put in to get them to go away. He could also smell the alcohol emanating off of her. "Julia, have you been crying? How much have you had to drink, my dear?"

"No, what would make you think that?"

"Barnabas? What's going on?" Victoria's voice came from behind him before he could say anything else.

Julia raised an eyebrow, "I thought that you two were having issues."

"We're not, anymore. I apologized."

She bit her lip, "I should go. Goodnight, Barnabas."

"Julia, I-" He grabbed her wrist, but she pulled away.

"Not now, Barnabas."

0o0

"Good morning, Julia." Elizabeth said, glancing up from her tea.

"Morning everyone." She grumbled to the table, already carrying a glass of bourbon.

"Good morning, Julia." Barnabas repeated. She waved her hands as if to say I-heard-you-but-I-don't-care-about-anything-that-you-have-to-say.

-x-

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to REVIEW!_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Huge thanks to LovettHelenaist, PrincessDaydream77, EllieLovettBovine, Shenelopefan, The infamous Hogwarts jaguar00, BE-YOURSELF-NOBODY-ELSE-CAN, SweeneyToddRules, Mirabilem Electo, EleKat, Dark Elizabeth Nellie Lovett, HellieLovett, Lady Adama, and Dr. Julia Hoffman for leaving me such amazing reviews!_

-x-

"Julia? May I speak with you for a moment?" Barnabas asked, chasing after her when lunch was over. She turned around, taking a sip of bourbon and looking annoyed.

"What do you want?" She said in an exasperated tone.

"I wanted to ask, is everything alright? I haven't seen you drink this much in a while."

"That's none of your business, Barnabas." She snapped, twirling on her heels and storming off.

"Julia, I'm concerned. What happened with Charlie?" He called, running after her.

"I don't want to talk about it." Although her back was still to him, he could hear her voice break slightly. "Please, leave me alone."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"He told me that he loved me, but I don't love him. So we broke up." She blurted out, then she turned so her back was to the vampire. "I love someone else."

_Someone Else?_ Barnabas thought. _Who else could she possibly be in love with? Was it Roger? What did she see in that buffoon? She was so much better than him. Oh, Julia…_

He shook his head, realizing that she was running down the hall now, heels clicking and hair blowing behind her.

"Julia, wait!" He shouted, but she didn't turn around. "I'm sure Roger will be thrilled to go out with you." This made her turn around.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She demanded, stalking back towards him.

"Roger, you love Roger, don't you?"

"Roger! Of course I don't love Roger! What could ever make you think that?"

"You said that you loved someone else. If it's not Roger, then who is it?"

She stared at him for a few moments before almost laughing. "Barnabas, you are such an idiot."

"I still don't understand…"

"You, Barnabas! I love you!" Her eyes widened as the words came tumbling out of her mouth, before she could stop them.

"You…you what?"

"I'm sorry Barnabas, I can't suffer like this anymore."

"Julia, what are you talking about? Please, tell me what's wrong."

"I don't want to talk anymore. I'm done talking to you."

0o0

Julia threw her clothes into her suitcase, shoving in as many things as she can before taking the second suitcase from off the top shelf of her closet. She took another gulp of her bourbon before throwing the rest of her belongings into the suitcase.

It was early in the morning, and she knew that only Elizabeth would be up now. Quickly gathering her suitcases she shut off the lights in her room and walked out, locking the door behind her.

0o0

"Elizabeth?" Julia called, knocking of the door of Elizabeth's office, "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course. Come in." Julia opened the door, lugging her suitcases in behind her. "What's going on?" She asked, as soon as she saw the bags.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I can't live here anymore. I've decided to move a little whiles away, and David can come for his sessions every once a week."

"But why do you need to leave? I thought you were happy here."

"Please, Elizabeth. I need to leave."

"You've become part of the family now. There must be something bothering you."

"Thank you Elizabeth. I'll see you soon for David's next session."

0o0

Footsteps were coming down the hall and Barnabas's head snapped towards the door. He was flooded with disappointment when Carolyn walked through the door instead of Julia. He hadn't seen her since last night, and it was starting to worry him. It was now lunch time, even if she had been drinking last night, she was usually up by this hour.

"Elizabeth, have you seen Julia?"

"She didn't tell you?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me what?"

"She left."

"What?" He jumped up from his chair. "What do you mean she left?"

"Dr. Hoffman decided to move out of the house. She's going to be staying in the next town over until she finds a more permanent place to stay."

"Why did she leave?"

"She didn't really explain why she wanted to leave. She just said that she needed to go."

"I need to go find her." He glanced at Victoria, "I'm sorry."

She gave him a weak

smile. "Barnabas, I get it. You love her, so go."

0o0

_"Julia?" Barnabas cried, running around the train station looking for the psychiatrist. His eyes darted around wildly, praying that her train hadn't left yet. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a flash or orange hair. "Julia?" _

_ The woman with the orange hair turned, "Barnabas?" _

_ "Julia!" He ran towards her, wrapping her in his arms and planting a firm kiss on her lips. "Please, don't go. I love you." _

_ Her eyes shone as she looked up at him, "Y-You do?" _

_ "Yes, I do." He smiled down at her, kissing her again. _

Julia's eyes snapped open, she was sitting on the bench at the train station, still waiting for her train. She sighed, burring her face into her hands, feeling her cheeks flush a light pink. Why was she dreaming about Barnabas like that? Why was her life so complicated now a days? As soon as she was in the new town, she was going to get a nice big bottle of wine, and drink it all.

"Julia?" A voice called, sounding a little distant. She froze for a moment, then shook away her thoughts. It must have been her imagination. "Julia?" The voice came again. This time she looked up, and glanced around.

The crowed several feet away from her was beginning to part and a man was running, pushing past all the annoyed people trying to get on the train.

"Oh my god…" She whispered. It was Barnabas running through the crowd.

-x-

_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be up soon! As always, please REVIEW!_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Thank you to EleKat, The infamous Hogwarts jaguar00, Shenelopefan, BeYourselfNobodyElseCan, inuyasha6457, Black-Cherry-Eater, neverlandisaplacefaraway, EllieLovettBovine, ceb521, Dark Elizabeth Nellie Lovett, Mirabilem Electo, Redejeka, HellieLovett, BloodyWonder, and nicole. _

_Special thanks to Dark Elizabeth Nellie Lovett who PMed me recently and got me modivated to finish this chapter. _

_I'm so sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter ends up to be worth the wait. _

-x-

"Julia!" Barnabas shouted, running towards the psychiatrist with open arms. Julia bit back a smile as he embraced her tightly. "Don't leave Collinsport, please."

She sighed, and pulled away from him. "I'm sorry Barnabas, but I'm tired of always finishing in second place behind Vicky. I can't sit and watch you two make goo-goo eyes at each other for the rest of my life."

"You won't have to anymore. From now on, I choose you, Julia. I love you." She searched his eyes, making sure he was telling the truth. He held her gaze, smiling down at her, before leaning in and kissing her. "Come back with me, my dear." He whispered when they broke apart.

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. A faint smile was playing across her face as she nodded.

"I will be more than happy to come back with you." She whispered. He wrapped an arm around her waist and took her suitcase, leading her back to the car.

0o0

"Victoria, I am truly sorry." Barnabas said, looking at the governess as they sat on the couch together. "I love Julia."

"I know Barnabas." She gave him a sad smile, "Things were never the same after that day you accidentally called me Julia."

"It wasn't right of me to ask for your love again when I knew that I no longer felt any romantic feelings towards you."

She shook her head, "I forgive you. That's what people do, when you love someone, you want them to be happy."

0o0

Julia waited outside the door, while Barnabas apologized to Victoria. As soon as he was done, she planned to go in and make sure the governess didn't blame her for the whole situation. The door creaked open and Barnabas stepped out, she darted in without saying a word.

"Let me set the record straight. I didn't plan for things to end this way, so I don't want you to think that I've been trying to 'steal' Barnabas from you. I didn't know that he would end things with you and come after me. I-"

Victoria held up her hand, "Julia stop. I understand. He doesn't love me anymore. It's not your fault."

The psychiatrist raised an eyebrow, "So you're not upset by any of this?"

She sighed, "Of course I'm upset, but what am I going to do? Fighting with you or getting angry with Barnabas isn't going to do anything. It's only going to create problems, so what's the point?" A tear trickled down her cheek. "Besides, Barnabas isn't the only man in the world. I'm sure there are lots of other wonderful people out there."

Julia sat down beside her and put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, you'll find someone." She gave her the most encouraging smile she could manage, perhaps they could be friends, eventually.

After talking for a few minutes, the psychiatrist decided it would probably be best to leave Victoria alone. She didn't want to overextend her stay. As soon as she walked out of the room she found Barnabas waiting for her outside the door.

"What where you doing?" He asked a curious expression lingering on his features.

"I had to make sure there were no hurt feelings between me and Victoria. I really don't want to get death glares shot at me from across the table every time we eat a meal together."

"Is everything alright now?"

She nodded and flashed him a smile, "Our meals will be glare free."

0o0

"Julia, we're going to be late." Barnabas knocked on her door.

"I know. I'm coming." She opened the door and smiled. "What do you think?" She asked, spinning around. She was wearing a deep blue, knee length dress with butterfly sleeves.

"You look beautiful, my dear." She kissed him on the cheek and let him lead her downstairs and out the door.

It had been several months since Julia had tried to leave Collinsport. Barnabas had decided to take her out to dinner tonight, just the two of them.

0o0

"You could have told me that we were going to walk to the restaurant." Julia stumbled along next to Barnabas, trying to stay upright as she walked on the crooked sidewalk in her heels.

"My apologies, I'll remember to tell you next time. Do you need me to carry you?"

"Absolutely not. You never told me where we're going for dinner."

"It's a surprise." After walking a little while longer, they finally arrived at Julia's favorite restaurant. There were flowers waiting for her when they sat down at the table.

"Are these from you?" She asked.

"Yes. Do you like them?"

"I do. They're very nice."

"Would you like a drink?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Barnabas called over the waiter and ordered a bottle of red wine for Julia. A few minutes later a little boy walked over to the table holding a bottle of wine and a glass. "David? What are you doing here?"

"Uncle Barnabas asked me to come and make your night extra special."

"Really? And why would he do that?" She looked at Barnabas and raised a eyebrow.

"Well, he said that he's going to-"

"David!" Someone whispered from a few tables over. Julia glanced over and saw Elizabeth and Carolyn beckoning the boy back over to them.

"I'd better go." He smiled before rushing back to the family.

"What are you up to?" The psychiatrist asked, turning back to her date. He was already busy pouring her a glass of wine.

"Nothing."

"Really, what are you-"

"Don't worry about it." He cut her off. "Now what do you want to eat?"

0o0

"Dinner was wonderful, Barnabas." Julia said as she finished the chocolate cake she had gotten for dessert.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed it." He beamed.

"David wanted me to tell you that he's sorry for almost spilling your food on you Julia." Carolyn said as she cleared away some of the empty plates.

"It's fine. Where is David anyway?"

"Mom thought it would be best if I cleared away the plates so he doesn't break anything."

"Thank you, and thank him. We will see you back at the house." Barnabas wrapped and arm around Julia's waist and led her out the door.

"I really did have a very nice time." She whispered as they walked along the shoreline. Barnabas had insisted on taking a detour and going to the beach before going home.

"As did I." He gazed down at her, she looked so beautiful standing next to him in the moonlight. "There's something I want to ask you." He moved from her side and stood in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"What is it?"

"Julia, you are a very beautiful, smart woman and you are so different from the women I used to know. Since that day you left me that letter telling me that you loved me, I've been falling in love with you. I want to spend all of eternity with you, and I want to know if you wish for the same thing?"

"Are you asking me what I think you're asking?" She breathed in disbelief. Barnabas reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black box. He got down on one knee and opened it, revealing a beautiful and rather large diamond ring.

"Julia Hoffman, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" She stared at him for a moment, her mouth hanging open. Barnabas's smile faltered, why hadn't she answered? Just as he was about to close the box, her face broke into a smile.

"Yes." She exclaimed, "Of course I'll marry you."

-x-

_A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the second to last chapter of Lies to a Lover! Please REVIEW!_


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you to Lady Adama, The infamous Hogwarts jaguar00, EllieLovettBovine, Carina Green Bonham Carter, Dark Elizabeth Nellie Lovett, Mirabilem Electo, BehindTheMask4319068, sarahjeancinema, nicole5277, Iracabeth of Crims 3118 and Madame Lestrange95 for reviewing!

Special thanks to Carina Green Bonham Carter who helped me write this chapter and put up with all of my annoying questions. You're amazing!

Tomorrow/Today (depending on when your reading this) the second of May is my birthday! So as a "gift" to you all I'm updating!

I am sorry to say that this is the last chapter of Lies to a Lover. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

I'd just like to take this time to thank everyone who took the time out of their day to read this story, review, favorite, alert and all that other fun stuff. It means so much to me. I can't even tell you how much your reviews brighten my day. Whenever I'm feeling down I look back at your reviews smile at all of your sweet comments. You all inspire me to keep writing. So as you read this final chapter, I hope you keep in mind how much you contributed to my writing and to my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

-x-

Julia yawned and rubbed her eyes, reaching for her glass of bourbon.

"Do we really have to do this?" She asked, looking at Elizabeth who was holding up to different colored napkins.

"You have to pick out a color for the wedding."

"This early? It's only eight."

"Julia, eight really isn't that early. Now pick one so we can move on."

She sighed, "The red one."

"Excellent. Now we can move on to-"

"Actually, I have something to do."

"But Julia, we have-"

"I'll only be gone for a little while." She grabbed an envelope from of the table and shoved it in her purse.

0o0

"Doctor Fitzgerald, there's someone here to see you." The receptionist said, "She's waiting in your office." The doctor walked into his office, and froze as he caught sight of the woman's unmistakable orange hair.

"Julia?" The doctor asked, walking around so he could see her face.

"Charlie?" She stood up, her stomach twisting in a knot when she saw his face.

"No please, stay seated. How have you been?" He gestured for her to sit as he leaned against the desk.

"Fine, and yourself?"

"Fine. What brings you here today?"

"I have some news that I wanted to share with you face to face. Barnabas and I are engaged."

"Wow, Julia that's…wonderful. I'm happy for you."

"I wanted you to hear it from me in person and not from someone else."

He nodded, "Thank you."

"Here" She reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. "I would be very pleased if you came to the wedding. You don't have to, but if you want to then…"She trailed off as she looked up at him. He was smiling, almost laughing at her babbling. "Just take the invitation." She handed it to him, feeling a little flustered.

"Oh, Julia. You are an amazing woman, Barnabas is a lucky man." He took the invitation from her. "It would be an honor to attend your wedding."

"Thank you, Charlie." She hesitated before standing up and giving him a hug. "I'd better go." She whispered, pulling away after a minute. "I'm suppose to go find a dress with Elizabeth."

"I'll see you soon."

She nodded, giving him one last smile. "Goodbye."

0o0

"Julia?" Barnabas called, knocking on the psychiatrist's door.

"What?" He heard her groan from the other side of the door.

"May I come in?" He could hear her grumbling and decided to take that as a yes. He opened the door and found her buried in her bed under multiple oversized pillows and floral sheets. "Good Morning."

She opened one eye and glared at him. "You know, just because we're getting married in a few days it doesn't mean that you can come in here and wake me up so early in the morning."

"It's almost ten o'clock, my dear."

"Exactly." She rolled over and buried her face in one of her pillows.

"How much did you have to drink last night?"

"Enough. Now are you going to let me sleep?"

"I brought you coffee." He sat on the edge of her bed. "And I made sure to put in your 'special ingredient'"

She picked her head up and looked over at him. He held out the mug to her and she couldn't help but smile just a tiny bit.

"Thank you." She said, taking the mug from him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "There has actually been something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"Once we're married, I was thinking that maybe…well we're not…" She stopped, unsure of how to go about saying what was on her mind. "I want you to make me into what you are."

"What?"

"I want to become a-"

"No, I heard what you said, but why ever would you want to become a monster like me?"

"I want…Because I…"

"I could not bare to destroy your life in that way. Being what I am is not a gift, it's a curse. You will be forced to watch the ones you love die, you will grow tired of life on this earth, you may never be able to do things other normal people do like have children. You will be forced to spend eternity on this earth."

"I know, but I will be spending eternity with you, and that is what I want." He stared at her for several minutes, thinking about what she had just said.

"I will have to think about it, but please reconsider as well. "

0o0

Barnabas stood at the alter, feeling only slightly nervous. Based on what Julia was feeling earlier

She looked gorgeous. The dress had a mermaid silhouette with a sweetheart neckline and a chapel train. The whole dress was embellished with lace and tiny pearls were delicately placed along the bodice. She had a cathedral length veil made of tulle with scalloped edges and her hair had been curled to frame her face perfectly. The ensemble was simple, yet so elegant.

Julia's eyes were sparking as she made her way down the aisle. Barnabas met her eyes and her smile grew even wider. There was no doubt in her mind, this was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

She finally arrived at the alter, handing her bouquet of roses to Elizabeth and letting Barnabas take her hands in his own.

"Nervous?" He asked quietly, noticing that her hands were shaking slightly.

She shook her head, "Happy." As the ceremony went on, Julia felt nothing but joy.

"Do you, Barnabas Collins, take Julia Hoffman to be your lawful wedded wife to have and behold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Do you, Julia Hoffman, take Barnabas Collins to be your lawful wedded husband to have and behold from this day on, for better or for worse, for richer of for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." She replied, the smile never leaving her face.

"Now for the exchanging of the rings. The wedding rings symbolize unity, a circle unbroken, without beginning or end. And today, Barnabas and Julia exchange these rings as a conformation of their vows to join their lives, to work at all times to create a life that is complete and unbroken and to love each other unconditionally."

"With this ring I thee wed. I offer you my hand, and my heart, as I know they will be safe with you. All that I am I give to you and all that I have I share with you." Barnabas said as he slid the ring onto Julia's finger.

"With this ring I thee wed. I offer you my hand, and my heart, as I know they will be safe with you. All that I am I give to you and all that I have I share with you." She repeated, sliding the other ring onto his finger.

"Julia and Barnabas, you have given and pledged your promises to each other, and have declared your everlasting love by exchanging the rings. Your vows may have been spoken in minutes, but your promises to each other will last until your last breath. As they have pledged themselves to meet sorrow and happiness as one family before God and this community of friends, I now pronounce them husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." Barnabas wasted no time doing that as the church erupted in applause. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Barnabas Collins."

0o0

Julia and Barnabas collapsed on the bed, panting and sweating. Barnabas grabbed the sheets and covered both of their naked bodies. As the two lay back entwined in each other's arms, Barnabas looked down at his new wife.

"Julia, are you sure that it's what you want?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you sure that becoming like me, becoming a vampire, is what you want?"

"Yes, it is."

"Once you are one, you can go back to what you are now."

She shook her head, " I don't care, Barnabas. I know it's what I want."

"I love you, Julia."

"I love you too." She whispered

"Do you trust me?"

He looked into her eyes and she smiled, "I trust you will all my heart and soul." And that was all he needed to know. He bit down on her neck, truly binding them together, for eternity.

-x-

A/N: Again, thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Please take the time to review one last time. I love you all.

~Bellatrix Nellie Le-Lovett


End file.
